


Bits and Pieces

by karasawr



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: M/M, aka the bits and pieces that we missed, all the dates, isabelle and magnus make a great team, midnight texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-19
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-08 04:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3195338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karasawr/pseuds/karasawr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘Come on, Alec, what’s the worst that could happen?’ he thought, trying to reassure himself for the millionth time. ‘Technically the rat thing wasn’t his fault, and he did ask you to call him, right? He can’t take it all that badly if you do.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thankfully not Flamingoes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! so this is my first time uploading on AO3, but I couldn't take the lack of Magnus/Alec fanfictions any longer and I thought I'd contribute. 
> 
> I haven't read around a lot so I don't know if this has been done or attempted, but this is going to be a collection of dates and little moments that were left out in canon and that I, for one thing, wanted to know more about. These are my headcanons, not canon content or anything to do with that. 
> 
> I'll also leave frisky moments out for now, and if I ever decide to write something for 18+ audiences I'll upload it separately with its proper warnings and i'll link to that from the main fic. 
> 
> That all said, you can drop me a message on my tumblr or twitter (@ karasawr) for questions and stuff. Enjoy!

             **A** lexander Lightwood had been staring at the same chip on his mug of coffee for a long time. It was not the peaceful kind of staring one would expect someone lost in their own mind would be doing at this time in the morning, but the kind that hid a raging and unstoppable swirl of thoughts threatening to suffocate him. He was tapping both feet on the ground, toes curling and uncurling rhythmically inside his worn out slippers. He’d shredded the whole pile of paper napkins that had been in front of him, and his dark hair –unruly enough by nature- was sticking out in all directions except for the intended one.

 

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down by running through all the outcomes that his plan could have. He knew them by heart already. He had even written them down on a list –which he had also later destroyed for safety and intimacy purposes-, and to be fair none of them seemed all that bad, but he couldn’t help himself.

 

 _‘Come on, Alec, what’s the worst that could happen?_ ’ he thought, trying to reassure himself for the millionth time. _‘Technically the rat thing wasn’t his fault, and he did ask you to call him, right? He can’t take it that badly if you do.’_

 

But what if it was a joke? If he was merely laughing at him? If he was drunk and didn’t mean it? Alec was pretty sure the slight glint of curiosity he thought he’d seen behind the bright gold of Magnus’ slitted eyes was real. Or so he hoped.

 

At least a little bit.

  
Next to his neglected drink his phone was staring back at him defiantly. He had kept it in his hand since he’d gotten home the night before, and even though it was quite small it never felt heavier. It was a constant reminder of Magnus. Of his party. Of how quickly his attention had been drawn to his bright attire and of the spark he had felt running down his spine when their gazes had met for the first time.

 

He had averted his eyes first, of course, suddenly immersed in a thorough study of the laces of his own shoes that hadn’t stopped his heart from racing and had left him trying to avoid eye contact with the warlock at all costs. But the few words they’d shared after, the way Magnus had eyed him quickly and the slightest of smiles had appeared on his lips- Maybe he was getting a bit carried away. Or a lot. But something told him there was actual interest under all the alcohol and the glitter.

 

               “Alec?” Isabelle’s voice startled him so much he almost swatted his phone off the table. “How long have you been awake? – _is that what you were wearing last night?_ ” She sounded horrified, shooting him a disapproving look from across the kitchen as she grabbed a mug and made herself some coffee. Without her makeup and with her hair up in a messy bun Isabelle seemed younger than she was, but by no means less menacing. “By the angel, Alec, you still smell like faerie dust and mistletoe.”

 

Ah, that could’ve been why Church, the Institute’s cat, hadn’t looked too all too pleased when Alec had wandered into the kitchen a few hours back and had picked him up for early morning cuddles.

  
               “Good morning to you too, Iz.” He replied. He was trying to put all the bits of paper napkin in one pile now, to make them seem deliberate and totally not the result of very aggressive fiddling, hoping that his sister wouldn’t notice. But she obviously did.

 

               “Wow, what did the poor napkins ever do to you?”

 

She sat down now, mug in one hand and an apple in the other, and she regarded her brother with an amused expression pointing at the mess on the table in a lazy gesture. “Is this because of what Magnus said?”

 

Alec almost choked on a gulp of cold coffee. He stared up, wide-eyed and trying to swallow back a coughing fit. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

               “Of course you don’t. Come on, Alec, he said you were the hot one amongst us - that ‘us’ including Jace and myself, and I’m not gonna talk about Jace, but I am foxy hot.”

 

               “You know, I’d rather you didn’t call yourself that anymore in my presence.”

 

His younger sister smiled a sufficient smile and brushed a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. Alec was holding up good, he thought, having a somewhat normal conversation with his sister. Everything was cool. He was totally not breaking into a cold sweat and he was totally, definitely not freaking out inside. Everything cool. He was not going to pass out if the conversation dragged on for much longer.

 

               “I’m not going to call him.” Was his response after a few seconds of silence, and he slid his phone inside the pocket of his old jeans.

 

Isabelle looked offended.

 

               “Magnus is very hot.”

 

               “Is he?”

 

She let the cup on the table and let out a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes in that way only Isabelle could. “ _Alexander_. I know this is hard for you. I know your experience in romance is as vast as the length of a flea’s eyelash, but-”

 

               “Fleas don’t have eye-”

 

               “I don’t care! You know what they don’t have either? A hot warlock with his own place –and very comfortable couches- waiting for a phone call from a certain shadowhunter. I saw how he looked at you, and I don’t care how much you try to deny it to yourself; I know you liked him too.”

 

Alec grunted. He ran his fingers through his hair once more, ruffling it to an impossible mess, and gave his sister a pitiful look. “What If he was just teasing though?”

 

And to that, Isabelle’s expression softened. She reached over the ruined napkins to lace fingers with her older brother. “But what if he wasn’t? Look, I didn’t know the guy before either. I don’t know what he really meant, but I think if you liked him and there’s a chance he might have liked you back, which is very likely, you should at least try.” She winked then, giving his hand a light squeeze. “Plus have you seen yourself? I’m pretty sure he wasn’t just teasing.”

 

Even though Alec had never been one to think that a relationship should be based on looks and he was certain Magnus couldn’t have thought his personality was all that interesting from their interaction at his party, Isabelle’s words were strangely comforting and actually managed to bring a smile to his lips.

 

               “Thank you, Iz.”

 

               “Anytime.” She bent forward to press a light kiss to her brother’s cheek before she got up and headed out of the kitchen. “Oh, and by the way, take a shower. You stink of crappy after-party.”

 

 

 

*             *             *             *             *             *             *

 

 

               Alec was freaking out. It was the third time he’d gone down Magnus’ street, walked up to his door and frozen in place, every muscle in his body as tense as if he’d just seen the doorknob morph in to a terrible demon. Every now and then he’d stop in place and try to remember what he was doing there exactly. Was he really going to ask him out on a date? Magnus Bane? The High Warlock of Brooklyn?

 

He could imagine him already; tall and handsome, staring at him with a teasing smile from the door of his apartment while making his undoubtedly fashionable choice of flamingo-patterned pajamas look fabulous. An arm on his hip and the other suavely leaning on the door frame as he laughed his ass off when he heard what the shadowhunter wanted to tell him.

 

Isabelle told him he wouldn’t, that even if he turned him down she was sure he’d show some consideration. But no matter how much Alec wanted to believe her, it wasn’t that easy to calm him down.

 

He’d left home early in the afternoon saying he was only going to say thanks, which was partially true, just so his sister wouldn’t give him a lesson on wardrobe choices, and it was dark already and he still hadn’t managed to even knock on the warlock’s door.

 

Closing his eyes, with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, he inhaled a deep breath of hot summer air and let it out in a long sigh.

 

             _‘You’re a shadowhunter; a warrior. You can do it. You’ve battled demons, you can manage an attractive warlock with centuries worth of experience in love affairs.’_

 

He nodded. His feet were stuck on the ground in front of Magnus’ doormat and he was not going to flee again; he was going to do it. He had to. If anything to say thanks for real and then go home.

 

But knocking just like that seemed a bit rude. He didn’t even know if the warlock was home, or if this was really his home –though, judging by the furniture and the cat he was pretty certain it was-, and coming here had been a stupid idea. He said ‘call me’, not _‘invade my personal space without asking if I’m open for random shadowhunter visits’._

His hands were clammy and wet with sweat and he felt them shaking in his pockets, but he forced himself to grab his phone and pull it out. 

 

Magnus had saved his life just a few days back and his memories about the whole thing were hazy. He didn’t remember much from that night after he passed out, having been barely conscious and more focused on breathing than on the warlock’s touch on his skin, but he heard the concern on his voice when he was done patching him up, and he felt slender fingers brushing his hair back and away from his face, lightly petting him until he was knocked out by peaceful sleep rather than pain.

 

Maybe dating him was a bit beyond his possibilities, but he wanted to thank him for what he had done.

 

Alec’s heart was pounding in his chest as the phone began to ring.

 

               “Hello, this is Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn and this better be important because I was about to get in a very pleasant and very calming bath after a very troublesome day and I am in no mood for being interrupted, so speak quickly, I charge by the minute.”

 

The shadowhunter swallowed on a dry throat and mumbled. “I eh-“ he started, free hand automatically going up to his hair to ruffle it in a nervous manner. “This is Alec- Alec Lightwood? You saved my life the other day.”

 

               “Oh.” The voice at the other end of the line seemed to soften.

 

               “It’s nothing, though, I can call any other moment if you were doing something impor-“

 

               “No, no, keep talking, forget about what I said.”

 

There was a moment of silence until Alec understood that the warlock was letting him speak, and he felt a new wave of nervousness crash into his chest. “I’m actually outside your door-“

 

But he didn’t get to finish that sentence because the door to the warlock’s apartment flew open revealing his slender figure behind it. It was a déjà vu, just like he’d imagined, and he was about to run away, but the look in Magnus’ face made him stay.

 

               “To what do I owe the honor?”

 

Stepping closer and going up a few steps of the stairs he could see that his clothes were not flamingo-patterned pajamas but instead a short blue velvet cape over a rather tight-fitted black shirt that brought up the color of his eyes.

 

Needless to say he almost tripped about five times before he made it halfway up the stairs.

 

He was doing it. He was here, he’d managed to call and he was walking up the stairs, and he could feel a mix of courage and sheer terror building up in his chest even before he began to speak.

 

               “You saved me the other night.” He expected a smart remark –something Jace would’ve done, for sure,- but Magnus said nothing. “I wanted to say thanks.”

 

Something in the warlock’s expression changed and he went from looking curious and sharp to looking confused and maybe a little bit disappointed too. Alec could feel the tip of his ears burning, which meant his face was probably burning too.

 

               “And I was also wondering if you’d like to go on a date with me.”

 

Magnus’ jaw dropped. If he thought the first thing he’d said had caught him off guard, this seemed to have switched him off completely. He stared blankly back at Alec, and the shadowhunter considered running away now.

 

He could’ve taken a barked laugh at his face. He wasn’t ready for silence.

 

After a long pause, the warlock let out a small breath and finally spoke. “On a date?”

 

Alec’s heart was going to jump out of his chest. He was going to die, and his tombstone down in the Silent City would read something like ‘Here lies Alexander Lightwood, who died from extreme embarrassment at the tender age of 18.’

 

               “Yeah?” he managed after a second or two. He had broken into cold sweat again. Such a contrast, he thought, with how elegant Magnus Bane looked. “I like you.”

 

And that was it. He felt light on his feet, like he’d been drained out of all the energy that had been buzzing inside him for hours –maybe days. He saw Magnus’ cat-like pupils dilate into an almost perfect circle, the light tan of his skin warmer under the light pouring from his living room, and his hands were shaking so badly he felt he could pass out at any second, but he felt accomplished.

 

And then Magnus kissed him.

 

 The next minutes went by in a blur. Alec swore they couldn’t have been kissing for long – his hands cupping the warlock’s jaw and chest to chest, but when the broke apart his lips were red and swollen and he was out of breath.

 

               “Does Friday night sound okay?” Magnus asked, and Alec almost didn’t know what he was talking about anymore.

 

               “Friday night is perfect.” He said finally, reluctantly taking  a step back.

 

               “Then come by at seven, I’ll be waiting.”

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

And that's it for this week! I'll try to upload at least once every one or two weeks. 

Thanks for reading!


	2. Wardrobe shaming and sweater tornados

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Letting his mind wander, he thought of Magnus and his impossible outfits and imagined them going on future dates; the warlock in a completely different set of colorful patterns and textures every time. Him in the same ugly worn out sweater.

 

               It was useless. No matter how many times he went through his wardrobe, there was nothing there that seemed good enough. He surprised himself cursing his blatant fixation for comfortable functional clothes and wishing he could be a bit more than Jace, with his infinite collection of shirts and t-shirts that hugged his figure in just the right places. Or like Isabelle, with her power to always pick the right outfit to take her dates’ breath away.

 

Letting his mind wander, he thought of Magnus and his impossible outfits and imagined them going on future dates; the warlock in a completely different set of colorful patterns and textures every time. Him in the same ugly worn out sweater.

 

The shadowhunter cringed.

 

He had no idea how fashion worked, but he was pretty sure it was not like this. All he knew was that he fought better in a comfortable hoodie than in a tight shirt, and that was all the attention he’d ever paid to his clothes. Until now. He couldn’t turn up at _his_ place in training gear, or in a t-shirt so old it had holes on its elbows, or in the sweater he liked to wear when he was going to spend hours studying in the library.

 

Long fingers traced over the rim of his favourite thin hoodie and he folded it carefully before placing it back in the pile of stuff he totally forbid himself to wear.

 

No. He couldn’t go on a date with Magnus looking like he had just come out of a dumpster –as Isabelle had sweetly reminded him countless times already-. Not on their first one, at least. He had to make an effort.

 

No matter how he looked at it; he needed assistance.

 

 

***     *     *    *    *    ***

 

 

               His sister was on her bed with her eyes shut and a set of headphones Alec had never seen before half-hidden between strands of dark hair. She was twirling one of the ends of the cable with a finger, and she seemed to be keeping the tempo of the music with her feet. She was either ignoring him or really into the music, because she didn’t move an inch as her brother stepped into her room and gave the wooden door a light knock with his knuckle.

 

Alec wondered if he had made the right decision. Isabelle was great at fashion but she always managed to make herself look like she could stomp on a guy’s heart and laugh while doing it. She liked it like that; the dangerous look that had people dying to have her but fearing her at the same time. And that was cool, he was happy she’d found her style and all, but he didn’t want to look like that to Magnus. If he had to choose, he’d go for a confident and hot look, something mature and dark and mysterious but also striking that could catch the warlock’s attention like he had caught his own at the party a few weeks back, but knowing himself he would be happy enough not to look homeless.

 

               “…Izzy?” he called her from the foot of her bed. “Can you help me with something?”

 

Isabelle’s eyes fluttered open and she sat up with her legs crossed and the widest grin on her lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”

 

               “What?”

 

               “We have lots of things to do, but don’t worry, you can still be saved.”

 

And to Alec’s surprised, he felt a wave of reassurance wash over his body and he smiled.

 

 

 

***     *     *    *    *    ***

 

 

               That was, of course, before he actually invited his sister into his room and had her look through his wardrobe. If he ever doubted such a thing as wardrobe shaming existed, Isabelle was making sure he wouldn’t ever again. It took her less than ten minutes to practically tear down the whole pile of neatly folded clothes and turn it into an explosion of grey, black and dark blues that covered almost every surface around them, including the cat. They’d agreed she’d put what she thought was ‘okay-ish’ on his chair so they could work on it later and try to turn it into ‘a solid very-okay’ through style and fashion magic, but so far that was the only place in the room that remained spotless, and Alec was beginning to think there was no hope.

 

She was pacing the room in circles carefully avoiding to step on any t-shirt and her stormy dark eyes were focused.

 

               “You could always borrow something from dad.” She had said after a long silence looking around the clothes that littered the floor in case she’d missed something good. No such luck, apparently.

 

               “Dad is bigger than me, I’d look ridiculous.” Plus that was the fifth time she’d suggested that already.

 

               “To be honest, I think your warlock would like you even if you turned up at his place wrapped in an empty sack of potatoes.” Alec tried his best to ignore that, simply muttering a small ‘not helpful’ back at her.

 

               “And what about Jace? We definitely have a better chance at finding something nice in his wardrobe than in here.”

 

               “Jace is _smaller_ than me, I’d look stripper-tight in one of his shirts. Plus-“ Isabelle had opened her mouth to add something to that comment, but Alec cut her before she could voice it out. “I’m _not_ going to explain to him why I may need to borrow one of his shirts for the night, I’d rather call it off than doing that.”

 

Isabelle frowned but she seemed to agree with Alec on that, or at least respect his decision not to tell Jace. Instead or arguing, she let out a small sigh and plopped down on the mattress, staring up at her brother.

 

               “How long do we have until you’ve got to go?”

 

Not the question Alec wanted to answer. He was so nervous he’d been actively avoiding looking at the clock, because as soon as he became aware of the time he felt his heart climbing up his chest and getting stuck in his throat. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. He’d found himself counting the time left before the date _to the minute_ on more than one occasion, and he couldn’t allow himself to be that nervous. He had to pretend he was cool to seem cool. He was pretty sure it went like that.

 

And his way to seem cool all day had been avoiding all forms of time keeping, so he’d even left his wristwatch in his room. He knew it was around 5pm, because the sun was still high but already on his way down, Church was sleeping his third nap of the afternoon and Jace had already left his room and he had seen him head towards the training wing of the institute.

 

Oh.

 

_Oh shoot._

 

Alec looked up at his sister and all the color had left his face. He sucked in a sharp breath and stared. His heart had been speeding up and down all day, but what he felt in his chest right now was closer to atrial flutter than it was to just nervousness. Isabelle frowned again and then gasped, getting on her feet to put a hand on his shoulder.

 

               “What’s up, Alec? Are you okay?” but he couldn’t even talk. His feet felt too heavy to move and he could see his hopes and dreams for a nice evening full of new experiences break apart in front of his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find something-“

 

               “It’s not that.” He managed, and he swore he could taste bile in his mouth. “It’s Jace; I forgot about him.”

 

               “You forgot about what?” She didn’t understand the greatness of the issue. Her face seemed to be saying ‘it was about time’, which was true and also not true and in either case not for now to discuss, but that was not it.

               “I told him I’d train with him today. Iz, I never miss training. He’s gonna suspect and he’ll get nosy, and then he’ll find out.”

 

               “Come on, you know Jace wouldn’t-“

 

               “Jace wouldn’t what?”

 

The sound of a new voice in the room shocked Alec down his spine. He turned his head to the side knowing who he’d find but hoping it would be anyone else. A demon, even, would be easier to deal with than Jace right now.

 

But there he was; bright and golden with his eyebrows raised in a half-mocking half-questioning look.

 

               “What are you two doing in here?” He didn’t step in, but his eyes dragged from Alec to Isabelle as slowly as they possibly could, and then he crossed his arms over his chest. “What happened to your wardrobe?”

 

Alec died a bit inside. Luckily Isabelle reacted quickly.

 

               “I thought it was about time I did something about it. We’re deciding on what to keep and what to throw away.”

 

Jace seemed to consider that for a second or two and then he let out a small sigh as he nodded at Isabelle. “Well, I can’t say I don’t agree with that. No offense, man, but most of your clothes have seen better days.”

 

               “They’re _comfortable!_ ” he replied, frowning back at Jace. Great. Team wardrobe-shaming. Just what Alec needed today.

 

               “Alexander.” Isabelle spoke again, raising her voice above his protest. “First of all I think the immesurable pile of clothes on your floor speaks against you, and second off-” and now she gave him a meaningful look that he knew –or hoped- only they understood, and he shut his mouth to let her speak. “I think I’d work better without you whining every time I discard an ugly sweater. Go train with Jace, I’ll have it all sorted when you’re back.”

 

 

 

***     *     *    *    *    ***

 

 

 

So that was one issue sorted. Hopefully. He trusted Isabelle to find something for him to wear in less than an hour more than he trusted himself, at least, which was progress. Progress was good.

 

Training with Jace right before his date, though. That was a bigger problem.

 

He absolutely couldn’t tell Jace what he was up to. Not Jace. Alec had always known his crush for his best friend was hopeless, especially given the fact that Jace happened to be exclusively into women and he was proud of his skills handling lady dates, that plus he had never seemed in the least bit interested in men, but he couldn’t let it go that easily. It had become a part of him, watching Jace in a way he never expected to be watched in return. As best friends, as _parabatai,_ as brothers and, at least on Alec’s end, as something more.

 

It was the epitome of one-sided relationships and he was well aware of that, but he couldn’t help it.

 

He had been terrified of Jace finding out about him ever since he’d come to terms with himself a few years back. His worst nightmares included the both of them, an awkward confession and the most horrible face of disgust he could imagine his angel-like features making. Merely thinking about that made his fingers shake.

 

If he found out about him like this-

 

He wondered if he’d know. If he’d figure out what those looks, the touches, the staying up all night caring for him meant beyond their friendship. He wondered if his nightmares would come true.

 

And he decided he didn’t want to know.

 

 

 

               Jace was walking ahead of him towards the training area of the Institute. He already had his sword –still sheathed- in his hand, and he was whistling a song that Alec assumed he had just written in his head. It was weird how looking at him managed to calm his heart a bit despite how nervous he’d been a couple of minutes ago, but that was part of what Jace did to him.

 

               “So” he said, breaking the silence, and his voice echoed through long stone corridors. “You’re not gonna tell me what you two were doing in your room?”

 

Alec paled and tried his best not to stutter. “I- Isabelle told you already, she was clearing out my wardrobe.”

 

               “I know as well as you do that you’d rather lose an arm than throwing away some of those clothes.” He said it in an easy tone, but Alec could taste how curious he was in melting gold of the quick glance he shot him from the door. “And in any case, I’m sure if you did, in fact, go totally crazy and decide to throw all that away, you’d ask for my help first.”

 

Now that was a no go. Alec tried his best to deviate the conversation topic.

 

               “Oh no, could someone be jealous that they were not selected for wardrobe wrecking?” He didn’t expect it to work with how sharp Jace usually was, but apparently he wasn’t in the mood for pushing things.

 

               “Whatever.” Once they were both in and ready, Jace smiled at him and nodded. “Just so you know, we’re going at it for half an hour extra for being late.”

 

               “What?”

 

What?!

 

 **No**.

 

 **No no no no,** absolutely _not._ Alec’s back was covered in a thin coat of cold sweat when his eyes met his friend’s full of nothing but sheer horror.

 

               “You’ll thank me someday when you’re about to be slain by some angry Swedish demon and the flips we practiced today save your life.”

 

And with that, the matter was settled and they started training.

 

Alec was so going to be late.

 

 

 

  ***     *     *    *    *    ***

 

 

 

               Isabelle hadn’t thought finding one simple thing that would fit her brother appropriately in his wardrobe would be so hard. Alec owned hundreds of clothes –of course, though, since they all looked the same, it seemed like he only had about three sweaters, one tee and a pair of jeans- but none of them were _good enough_.

 

Jeans. Jeans she could work with, everything looked good with jeans. Well, almost everything. But the tops.

 

She had never seen such an array of old tops before. And not old in the cool, vintage sense; her brother’s clothes were all literally worn-out, full of holes and color-washed old.

 

It was easy to tell that all those sweaters, the t-shirts and the hoodies had been very good at one point –and the fact that they hadn’t completely disintegrated proved that well enough-, but that had probably been about two centuries ago, which did nothing to help Isabelle at the moment.

 

Thinking, she sat down on her brother’s bed and considered offering him one of her own t-shirts. Alec would refuse, sure, and maybe possibly hate her forever, but somehow she doubted Magnus would mind.

 

               “By the Angel, Alec.” She sighed, distractedly petting the cat under a bunch of t-shirts. “Why can’t you have a drawer for party clothes or for night shirts or- oh wait.“

 

That’s _it_ , she was a _genius._

 

Brightest shadowhunter and sister ever, hands down.

 

She sat up in a jolt and bolted out of the room leaving an unhappy Church meowing for more caresses on the bed. Her room was just down the corridor. Its door was still open from when she had left earlier and she was moving so fast she almost tripped over the headphones Simon had given her before he turned into a rodent so she’d listen to some of his favourite bands. They were good, she had to admit, but mixtapes were _so old_ she rolled her eyes when he appeared at the Institute’s door with a poor attempt at a smug smile and the music. But that was irrelevant now, she had more important things to do. She had a date to save.

 

While Alec’s wardrobe was hopeless, hers was definitely not.

 

It didn’t take her long to find her secret stash of boyfriend t-shirts and spread its contents over her floor so she could examine them better. There were quite a few interesting items there, but not many of them seemed like they would fit her brother’s figure. Alec wasn’t thin nor bulky, and though he was taller than Jace he wasn’t tall enough that he stood out. All that plus the fact that he seemed totally unaware of his awkward fidgety posture when he was nervous made it hard to find stuff that accentuated the soft-toning of the muscles in his arms and torso without going too baggy below his stomach, or to make his abs noticeable without going too obvious.

 

It was a challenge, Isabelle reminded herself, and she discarded another bunch of useless tops.

 

Until she found it. It was perfect and she was so sure it would fit Alec- she could imagine him already; standing at the warlock’s door with his cheeks flushed and his hands a bit shaky and that beautiful light blue color bringing out the deep blue of his own eyes and the softness of his skin. _Perfect._

 

It wouldn’t work with regular jeans, but that was easier to fix.

 

She was done and she was probably almost as excited as Alec himself was.

 

 

 

***     *     *    *    *    ***

 

 

               Alec dashed into his room roughly two hours after he’d left with Jace with his hair still wet from what Isabelle guessed had been the quickest shower ever and a towel draped around his waist, and the look on his eyes was wild. He hit his toe on the door frame, then knocked the bedside lamp over with his elbow and almost broke his sister’s foot by stepping on it as he tried to catch his breath to talk to her.

 

His sister put a hand up and talked before he could. “I found the perfect shirt. You’re gonna love me so much for this.” She said. Alec’s nervousness brought an endearing smile to her lips. “Come on, try it on.”

 

And holy crap did it look good.

 

She felt proud of her job, and by the look on Alec’s face, he did too.

 

               “Isabelle, I-“ he started.

 

               “Oh, thank me when you’re back, you have more important things to do right now.”

 

               “Right! Right eh- where did you- yeah, you're right- see you!”

 

               “See you, Alec.”

 

She waved him goodbye and managed to splash him with a delicate cologne she’d found in her box before he sprinted towards the door. But despite the rush, Alec turned and smiled, and his cheeks were pink and Isabelle felt so proud of him, too, for being brave enough to enjoy himself like this. She could sense his nervousness with every slightly unsteady breath he took, and she had to hold back from pouncing on him for a hug.

 

               “I love you.” He said, and she shook her head like it was nothing and gave him a thumbs up.

 

               “I know. Have fun tonight!”

 

               “I will.”

 

And he left to his first date ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter! I'm super busy with uni work right now but I write a bit every night, so be patient with me! I'll try to make it a chapter every one or two weeks, hopefully about as long as this one or even longer. 
> 
> Also let me remind you that this is how *I* see the characters and the things I think they would do and say. It's my own representation and picture and it has nothing to do with the canon material.


	3. Moms and the texting etiquette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Alec comes back home from his date and someone's back from Idris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! My exams are over so now I can go back to writing, hopefully! Thanks for being patient and I'm sorry that this one is so short, but I wanted to post something since i haven't in so long! I'll be back to longer chapters after this one, promise! ' 7' thank you for reading!

Alec skidded back home whistling and humming with his cheeks flaring red and the taste of Magnus’ lips still lingering on his own. That had been a wild ride from start to finish, he had to admit, but a wild ride he’d go on again every day.

 

So many new experiences all at once, from the poor songwriting skills of the wildlife of New York to the food, the incident with the werewolf girl and then of course the visit to the warlock’s place afterwards. It all seemed to thunder through his mind as he made his way back. He was trying to remember everything, every word they’d shared, every look, every street sign they’d walked past – he wanted it all burnt into his memory forever.

 

Maybe it had been a bit awkward at some points of the night, he had to admit, with him not knowing what exactly was going on through most of the night’s events, conversation topics running low, his more than evident tension and then Magnus getting _the text_ Isabelle had warned him about so many times. But in the end everything went better than expected. Much better than expected.

 

In fact Alec still thought about turning around and going back to him, to his arms and his house and the couch, because they had decided the night was over but it could as well be just starting. Magnus had told him, after all, that it was his choice, and so he’d chosen what seemed the most prudent option. He knew going home was the right thing to do, but he really wanted to stay.

 

Really, really badly.

 

He could still feel the warmth of Magnus’s hands on his chest as he stepped through the doors of the Institute and let out a small and quiet sigh.

 

It was late when he got back, perhaps past 2am, and everything was quiet. Church came to greet him with sleepy eyes and a pitiful little meow that got the shadowhunter to pick him up and nest him against his chest as he walked as quietly as he could towards his room. His only hope was that he wouldn’t find Jace, who was probably the only one in the house he’d expect to be strolling around the halls at such an ungodly hour. Fortunately, he didn’t.

 

Not so fortunately, he found his mother instead.

 

His mother who was supposedly out of town. His mother who wasn’t supposed to be back for another week. He tried to swallow the lump of nervousness down unsuccessfully.

 

She was leaving Max’s room when she heard his soft cat-like steps and he could see how every muscle in her body tensed up for a quick second, her eyes snapping up and meeting his. It took her a moment to process what she was seeing. She was probably expecting Isabelle, he thought, or Jace, but most definitely not him. And especially not fancy nice clothes and wearing that dumb smile.

 

Alec paled. His mother waited.

 

               “Eh-“ he started eloquently.

 

               “Good night, Alexander.” She replied, her eyebrows up in an expression he’d seen so many times on his sister it seemed strange to see it on someone else. She was clearly expecting an explanation, but Alec was so taken by surprise he couldn’t come up with anything half-convincing.

 

               “I’m back” he decided was a safe option.

 

               “I can see that. Back from where, if I may ask?”

 

               “Eh – someone I know ran into trouble with a werewolf at this bar, it was nothing big, everyone’s safe.”

 

And at that his mother’s face became a frown, and even in the dim light of the hallway he could see her face turning sour. He didn’t need her to say anything to know what she was thinking. After all, she’d always hated her children getting involved in downworld issues, and having friends who surrounded themselves with werewolves wasn’t quite on top of her list of activities she wanted them to do. Good, he breathed, despite her face, because that would create enough of a diversion.

 

But then she crossed her arms across her chest and took a step towards her son. She was small and slender but there was this fierceness in her eyes that made her even more intimidating than her husband. Alec forced himself not to take a step back.

 

               “And you decided to go in a dress shirt?” she said after her silence. Alec cursed his fashion sense –or lack of it- once more.

 

               “I – thought I’d stand out less in the crowd?”

 

               “What about a glamour? – Alexander, will you please stop trying to-“

 

               “He went out, mom.” Isabelle trotted up the stairs from the kitchen with her hair in a messy bun and a glass of water and shared a quick glance with her brother. Saving the day again, Alec thought, and though he didn’t relax just yet he knew she would be able to handle her just right. “He likes having fun too, though it doesn’t seem like it most of the time.”

 

               “Iz!” He complained, but a smile was wide on her lips. His mother dropped a heavy sigh.

 

               “You know I don’t like you going to those parties-“

 

               “It’s alright, it was a boring party. I bet they even had cupcakes.”

 

The disapproving look on his mother’s face was still present, but she seemed to be more okay with that idea.

 

               “What about the werewolf?”

 

Isabelle turned her head and gave him an incredulous look. “Werewolf?”

 

               “Long story, but it’s fine, it was a misunderstanding.” Because accident wouldn’t sound good to his mom. She would go on a rant about downworlders being dangerous and out of control nowadays and he wasn’t in the mood for that. Not when he had just spent the best minutes of his life with one of them.

 

Finally, his mother rolled her eyes and let out another sigh before she resumed her way back to the master bedroom. “We’ll talk about this some other time. You should both be in bed by now.”

 

Isabelle and Alec nodded, then shared a quick look. Alec didn’t feel like discussing the night’s events right there, so he shook his head at his sister and she seemed to get it, because she gave him another small nod and disappeared down the hallway.

 

 

               Once in his room, Alec dropped on his bed like a dead weight and breathed in deep. It was still a mess of sweaters and old t-shirts since he hadn’t had the time to pick everything up, but while a chaos like that would’ve kept him up in any other situation he couldn’t be bothered to move right now. He was so tired it was like his legs had been turned to stone and he was sure he couldn’t move if he wanted to. But the warmth of Magnus’ lips was still there, staining his own.

 

It had been so magic, everything about that night. Thinking about it made the shadowhunter’s heart flutter. Were all first dates like that?

 

He doubted it. Nobody could match up to Magnus.

 

Magnus. Alec found himself breathing out his name more than he liked to admit. He had gone from a complete stranger to someone he would very willingly spend all of his hours with in just a matter of days, and though he reminded himself it was someone else who he really loved his heart kept arguing with him on that. Because Magnus. Magnus had saved his life. Magnus with his strange clothes and his hands and his words. And maybe he was a peculiar man, and a warlock on top of that, but he was all that Alec could think about.

 

With a dumb smile on his lips, he took out his phone and held it up to his face, wondering if he should text him or if it’d come off as desperate. He wasn’t an expert on text etiquette, that’s why he needed Isabelle, to advise him on these matters, but maybe a couple of hours after the date was indeed too early for the first text.

 

Maybe it would make him seem uninteresting.

 

But Alec couldn’t bring himself to care at that moment. He quickly typed in his name on the screen and wrote and erased and re-wrote a message a couple of times until he was happy with the results before he hit send.

 

              _“Good night, Magnus_  
  
 _Sleep well”_

 

Surprisingly enough, a response came within a few seconds.

 

                                                                    _“Good night, Alexander_

_I hope you sleep well too._

_xx”_

 

 

Alec stared his phone, the screen blinding him in the darkness of the room, and he needed a moment to process the message. It was short, and it probably hadn't meant much to Magnus, but it had the shadowhunter smiling all over again.

 

                  _"I will."_  
  


He sent the message without thinking much, and he immediately regretted it. Would that be too short? too cutting? 

 

Fortunately Magnus didn't leave him wondering for too long, because another answer came right away. 

 

                                                                    _"How are you so sure?_

_Nevermind, don't answer that._

_Did you get home safely?"_

 

                _"Because I will be thinking_

_about tonight"_

 

It was daring, Alec realized, but once again he hit send before he could erase anything, and he regretted it right away. Blushing more than was probably healthy, he quickly wrote another message. 

 

_"Yes, I did, it's all fine._

_Also could you please ignore_

_my last message? I think I'm_

_half-asleep already."_

He could feel the smirk on Magnus' response without needing to see his face. 

   

                                                                            _"Oh, is someone flustered~?_

_No need to be embarrassed, Alexander._

_I, for one, will be thinking about tonight_

_for a long time too."_

 

Alec swallowed and stared at the screen for a long while before he could think of something else to say. Of course Magnus would say something like that, and for once he had no doubt he meant it. Feeling happier than he had felt in a long while, he typed in a last message before he dozed off completely. 

 

              _"Okay._

_Thank you for tonight, Magnus._

_It was really great. I can't wait to_

_see you again, but now I'm going_

_to sleep for real, so good night."_

 

 

 

_" xx "_

 

 


End file.
